Incomplete list of economic woes in the U.S. state of Idaho, July 2016.

Individual taxpayers are being raped again as gov’na Butch Otter gives Dow Chemical (third largest chemical company, and one of the wealthiest, in the world!) a huge 24% across the board tax break to build an insulation factory in Burley!

The Idaho Statesman revealed how Butch Otter kept Idaho’s petroleum project, including fracking, secret until he inadvertently revealed it during a bus tour.  Six years later Idaho Statesman reveals that Idaho taxpayers haven’t benefitted: “Since then Idahoans have been slowly learning about costs and risks the industry presents. So far the financial benefits have not been what the industry suggested we could expect. Since Jan. 1, the Idaho Tax Commission reported $70,559 in receipts from the state’s 2.5 percent severance tax…..  …many residents remain worried in part because of the way some of the company representatives on the ground have treated them and because of the shroud of secrecy…  …other oil and gas companies that say they want to invest millions more in Idaho but are stopped by rules Alta Mesa largely wrote to keep out the competition….  ….Ask yourself: Do I want a natural gas processing facility 300 feet from my home? That’s what new state rules propose.”

In Power County, just weeks after a ribbon cutting ceremony by gov’na Butch Otter (who declared the economy “risen from the ashes”) construction on the Valley Agronomics fertilizer factory appears to have suddenly halted. I posted a question on their Facebook page at the beginning of the month, but so far no response.

Independent news reports say that for every two Gem State teachers that leave only one replacement can be found, meaning that every year Idaho schools have less and less teachers (makes you wonder why the school districts continue to claim they’re short on funding).

At American Falls Reservoir a dispute between U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (BoR) and Seagull Bay Yacht Club.  The public land is managed by the yacht club, yet the yacht club is a membership only group.  BoR says the yacht club has dozens of spaces for recreational vehicles for members, but only eight for the general public.  Seagull Bay Yacht Club’s response is that the BoR won’t let its members camp for more than 14 days at a time.  BoR will not renew the lease unless Seagull Bay Yacht Club satisfies their request to open more spaces for the general public.

The Pocatello Police Department asking residents not to call 911 for non-violent crimes!  Police suggested using their website to file reports of non-violent crime (impossible for people with no access to the internet).  Police claim it takes up too much of their time to respond to non-violent crime reports.  Is this a sign that violent crimes have increased, or that city administrators need to cut taxpayer funding, or both?

The former dock master at the Coeur d’Alene Resort sentenced to ten years in prison for stealing from his employer.  Police say he stole $500-thousand USD and tried covering it up by claiming he was issuing refunds to customers.

In Jerome, the Idaho Conservation League accusing Novalex-Hilex Poly of violating federal EPA regulations.  Company administrators claim they are below the EPA requirements for making public notice of toxic emissions.

In Post Falls, state Department of Health and Welfare shutdown Here We Grow daycare after 22 children were left alone.  It was discovered after one of the children escaped.  

Unnamed employees of iconic family owned Zamzows pet and garden centers reporting to Blind Bat News of drastic and sudden changes in management.  Long time employees say suppliers have also been changed, all ordering now done through main office in Nampa, some inventory is not being re-stocked, HR employees laid off, and new policies enacted to make it easier to fire employees (which means they won’t qualify for unemployment assistance).  There are reports that Zamzows family members are owed money by the company and that a media consultant has been hired. One employee reported to Blind Bat News that July sales crashed by more than $13-thousand USD compared to July last year!  The latest company manager’s meeting was said to be full of confusion about why sales have crashed and what’s happening to customers.  In a 2013 Idaho NPR report Zamzows’ president stated that increasing the state minimum wage wouldn’t adversely affect them.

WARN=Worker Adjustment & Retraining Notification.

I found a 2010 AFL-CIO analysis (titled The Public Availability of WARN Notices: Lack of Accessibility and Disclosure…) which proves what I’ve been suspecting in my search of state WARN notices; most states are not complying with federal WARN regulations and are not publicizing or tracking mass layoffs.

Former employees who receive severance are not counted as unemployed!

Employees of religious non-profits might not qualify for unemployment assistance: “If the non-profit organization is a church, you may or may not be entitled to unemployment. It all depends upon state regulations for church employers. In many cases, churches are allowed to set their own rules regarding unemployment benefits, meaning the church can choose whether to offer benefits to former employees.”

The U.S. Department of Labor (DoL) no longer issues mass layoff reports: “On March 1, 2013, President Obama ordered into effect the across-the- board spending cuts (commonly referred to as sequestration) required by the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act, as amended. Under the order, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) must cut its current budget by more than $30 million, 5 percent of the current 2013 appropriation, by September 30, 2013. In order to help achieve these savings and protect core programs, the BLS will eliminate two programs, including Mass Layoff Statistics, and all ‘measuring green jobs’ products. This news release is the final publication of monthly mass layoff survey data.”